To my friends and colleagues returning to teaching: may your year be filled with curiosity, laughter, and discovery. And to my fellow nonprofit travelers: here’s to the ongoing work of building, sustaining, and dreaming—even when the seasons blur together.
Category Archives: teaching
Practicing what I Preach
When I teach, I want my students to embrace a growth mindset. They need to know that my classroom is a safe place to try wild, creative ideas and that it’s alright to make mistakes. I often tell them that the hardest part of solving any problem is being brave enough to take the firstContinue reading “Practicing what I Preach”
June 8: Endings are Just New Beginnings
I just finished computing final grades for what is in all likelihood is the last course of my academic career. This feels big. I have been a college professor for more than 30 years. This is what I know and this is where I have succeeded. I am drawn to opportunities to build something meaningful.Continue reading “June 8: Endings are Just New Beginnings”
January 2 Day 1395: I Thought We Were Done
I haven’t been very good at posting for the last year–only 31 posts for all of 2023. I have been reflecting on why: So what drove me to write tonight? My husband tested positive for COVID this morning and it has thrown a wrench into all of our plans. He feels mostly fine (thank goodness)—just enoughContinue reading “January 2 Day 1395: I Thought We Were Done”
October 11 Day 1312: What are the Odds?
I am teaching Foundations of Mathematical Reasoning this quarter and it’s all about reading proofs, writing proofs, and revising proofs. It is one of my favorite classes to teach because of the topic and the people. We genuinely build community. Partly because as the students are struggling to develop their proof writing chops, they bondContinue reading “October 11 Day 1312: What are the Odds?”
March 27 Day 1114: Fresh Start
It’s the first day of Spring quarter 2023. So long Spring Break— I hardly knew you. All of the faculty colleagues I saw today looked exhausted. With less than a week between Winter grade submission and the start of this quarter, there really was no rest for the weary. I had an impressive To-Do listContinue reading “March 27 Day 1114: Fresh Start”
March 9 Day 1096: Mathematical Relations
Yesterday afternoon, my #TacomaMath colleagues Jenn Crump, Ander Erickson, and I delivered a (virtual) professional development session for teachers in the Tacoma area. One of the activities was to graph our relationship to math over time. Some of the results are given below: Notice only one response had a wholly positive experience. Everyone else hadContinue reading “March 9 Day 1096: Mathematical Relations”
March 6 Day 1093: Where Were You?
It was three years ago today that UW President Ana Mari Cauce sent this email: The Friday morning message called for emergency remote teaching by the very next workday. The speed of the transition was dizzying. I was on a writing retreat at Pack Forest with a handful of my Interdisciplinary Arts and Sciences colleagues.Continue reading “March 6 Day 1093: Where Were You?”
January 29 Day 1057: Paper vs iPad grading
I spent at least 7 hours grading today—mostly exams on paper and some homework files submitted electronically. All of it was for students in the same class. First observation: When did everyone’s handwriting become so illegible? Second observation: Why do I think my tricks to decipher handwriting on the iPad will work on paper? IContinue reading “January 29 Day 1057: Paper vs iPad grading”
December 31 Day 1028: Here’s to 2022
The last day of the year brings reflections on the past and hopes for the future. It was a good year with a rough start and a whirlwind finish. The delta and omicron strains of COVID required pivoting from our plans for a return to normal. But by summer, travel was back in full forceContinue reading “December 31 Day 1028: Here’s to 2022”
Math Belongs to All of Us 